The head teacher of Blairgowrie High School has introduced a weekly prize draw to tackle plummeting attendances.
Paul Cunningham, who joined the secondary school in August, is determined to cut down on absences as the school sits below the national and local average.
The initiative sees pupils with 100% attendance for the week entered into a draw to win prizes.
In 2023, the school’s overall attendance sat at 84.8%.
Paul, 44, told The Courier: “I was like, we need to do something that’s quite highly visible and going to spark a bit of interest and enthusiasm into coming to school,” he said.
“So we started up this ‘In 2 Win’ initiative.
“The target for all pupils is 92%, if you come in for 100% of the time each week you get entered into a weekly draw.
“We’ve given away things like £5 vouchers for the Co-op, Starbucks drinks, hot chocolate and cake with the head teacher.
“You have a chance to win each week.
“The bigger draw is a termly draw, so if you are at 92% attendance or above come the end of the term, we have a grand draw that is in the assembly hall; all the young people who meet that go along.
“Last term the star prize was a Nintendo Switch and this term the star prize was a mountain bike.”
Business support for Blairgowrie High School prize draw
Local businesses have got involved with the scheme by donating prizes.
Most recently, Crighton’s Cycles gifted the school a mountain bike for the draw.
Paul, who has worked in education for 21 years and has taught in Perth, Montrose and Monifieth, says parents and local businesses have got behind the initiative.
He said staff and pupils have embraced the idea and it has created a “buzz” around the school.
The school has also received hundreds of pounds from anonymous community members to support the scheme.
Smith and Sons Coaches donated £200 worth of vouchers and Tesco gifted a range of prizes.
Head teacher says scheme ‘having some positive impact’
On Thursday the school celebrated as more than 500 students maintained an attendance of 92%.
Paul believes this is the start of things to come.
He added: “It’s not going to be the golden bullet, it’s not going to make attendances go up but what it’s done is draw attention to attendance.
“It’s a shot in the arm of just trying to push it.
“Alongside that, we’re looking at what we’re doing in classes; we’re trying to improve our learning teacher experiences, we’re trying to expand our curriculum offer to make learning more interesting when they’re here.
“This is just an initial drive and push.
“So far it’s having some positive impact.
“Our S1 attendance this year is better than it was last year; our term two attendance has improved from last year.”
Parent council chairman Ewan Lister said: “I was a bit sceptical of this approach initially as I am aware that some young people cannot, for good reasons, attend school all the time.
“However, Mr Cunningham has made it clear that those who face barriers to school attendance due to health or family reasons are not disadvantaged and are also given the opportunity to be entered into the weekly and termly prize draws.”
It comes as the school campus gears up for the opening of the new Blairgowrie Leisure Centre on its grounds.
Conversation